The Lincoln Project

As an artist, one of the catch 22's is that revealing your artwork also reveals your vulnerabilities.

So much energy, time, and soul goes into your work/creation it's an extension of you, and sharing can be scary. I started this work of art over a year ago, a portrait of Lincoln. 

Lincoln is one of the most well known presidents, so why paint him? Perhaps it's because his birthday is only one day after mine? Or I was entering into a volatile political election? Or that I wanted a different subject? Or the new movie Lincoln was coming out? In any case, I identify with Lincoln. Lincoln was a very complex, and yet simple person. How he had the strength to lead our country with opposing sides and depression knocking at his door, I will never know.

Purchasing a large expensive piece of watercolor paper for this project was a huge step for me. Its hard to plan a piece when the recipient is unknown. For now- it's mine, and I will share my progress with you. Up to this point I had my sketch down on the pricey paper. 

Bo Peep convinced me to paint Lincoln since it is Presidents Day and my plans were cancelled due to the weather. I have a list two miles long of "should do's", but I set them aside and got to work.

Laying down frisket first to keep some white areas.

Waiting for the frisket to dry gives me time to play.

I raided the pantry.

The results. I choose the cornmeal.

Then I started in with the color.

A good start, but fatigue is setting in so I will leave my "green man" for now. Plus time and pictures give me better perspective. Happy President's Day!

We'll never be Royals

But we can have fun playing dress-up and pretend! After all- life is too short not to wear your "fancy pants" once in awhile.

The second annual HVG new Year's Eve Bash was held at the Meade Mansion. This year's theme was the prohibition era which spanned 1919 to 1933. I love the 30's- it's my favorite era of fashion along with the 40's, but when it came time to plan my wardrobe for the party I decided upon a vintage 1920's "flapper" pattern in my collection. This pattern has always begged to be made, but the proper occasion has eluded me- until now.

The sac dress is not my favorite silhouette, so some swanky fabrics were in order. My favorite fabric store, Goodwill, came through again with 13 yards of cream lining and floral printed velvet. I also purchased some cream satin for the dress, but decided I liked the sheen on the lining better. This would later frustrate me, but it looked good, and that's all that matters, right?

Other preparations to be made were selecting stockings, the fancier the better since the hemlines were rising in the 20's, and my accessories! Superglue restoration was done to my minkies, along with a good eye cleaning. The leather was too brittle to sew up repairs.

Four whole minks complete the stole that I won at an estate sale.
 I also won a lifetime of eye rolls from Daddy-O!

With only days to go until the party I zipped up my dress with only a few snags (literally). The boxy design is fairly simple and straight forward, but with no instructions, you need to take your time and possibly rip some seams.

At the evening of the party the table was filled with various hors d' oeuvers, Mr. Shimstock was making some mean sidecars, and we popped a bottle of bubbly to start the evening.

Cheers!

I've been lounging on this chair all day!

For details on BoPeep's dress, check out the Willow Homestead.

Just us flapper girls!

BoPeep was fabulously dressed with her new party dress, and the guys even cleaned up nice.

It was a great evening to stay in and have a cold drink and snuggle with our beaus!

Royalty is just a state of mind- 

so think royal thoughts in the coming year!

Happy New Year to you & yours!

Wild Kat's Wardrobe
Pattern- Standard new Idea Designer Pattern circa 1920's
Fabric- Goodwill
Fur Mink stole- estate sale
Jewelry- estate sales
Feather Hair piece- Walmart
Nylons- Gal Stern etsy
Shoes- eBay
Gloves- Bo Peep's collection

BOOK REVIEW: Slacks and Calluses

Recently (or actually it was several months ago) Solanah from Vixen Vintage recommended a book for all of us vintage-minded gals dreaming of Life in the 1940s.  First published in 1944, Slacks and Calluses: Our Summer in a Bomber Factory, by Constance Bowman Reid, is a spectacular window into that lifestyle. 

During her summer vacation Bowman, a high school English teacher, along with her co-worker Clara Marie Allen (an Art teacher who illustrated the book) decides it is high time to contribute to the War Effort.  Both Bowman and Allen sign up for the swing shift at the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Company in San Diego, California, to learn how to build B-24 Liberator bombers.

What ensues is an enjoyable, easy read about their training, their co-workers, their lack of sleep and copious amounts of greasy clothes.  Bowman is very candid about what it was like not only to be trained by men but also to work side-by-side with them.  She talks about riding the bus to work in her overalls; not a man stood to offer his seat, and several women turned up their noses.  She talks about having to learn the tools and tricks of working on an assembly line.  And she speaks with immense pride at having successfully survived their summer.

"We know that a Liberator was built by many people and many hours; and whenever in a newsreel we saw the inside of the tunnel with the oxygen bottles strapped into place, the belly turret hung down in its hole, the electric wires strung neat and firm along the sides, we saw Joe...we saw Jeff...we saw Blondie and Phyllis.  After a summer on the production line we looked at a Liberator the way you gaze in awe at a great tapestry when the note under it says that it took a hundred women twenty years to make it."

I would highly recommend this book as a wonderful, first-hand account of the softer side of the war effort.

The Real Life Victory Girls

I found this tie-tack last week at Out of the Ashes etsy shop.  Daniel, the owner, makes what he calls "altered art" jewelry using bullet shells, typewriter keys, circuit board bits, coins, gears and vintage finds.  You definitely need to check it out!

World War I poster

But it got me thinking about the history behind the term "victory girl."  When was it first used?  After a bit of research, it seems the original movement started during World War I as a legitimate, government-led work campaign.

The United War Work Campaign brought together seven organizations - the YMCA, the YWCA, the American Library Association, the War Camp Community Service, the Knights of Columbus, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the Salvation Army - into one large funding drive charged with raising over $170 million for the war effort.  There was even a chapter of Victory Boys! 


However, during the Second World War, the term "victory girl" took on a more definite sexual connotation.  It was applied to any young girl who felt it was her duty to boost the morale of service men.  This could be as innocent as dancing at USO clubs or as blatant as having sexual relations bordering on prostitution.  Knowing that these men may never return home, the girls used their sexuality to comfort and reward them before they shipped out or when they were on leave between assignments.  Of course the men played into this sense of patriotism, pressuring the girls and sweet-talking their way into a few sweaters.  "Khaki-wackies," "patriotutes" and "good-time charlottes" were other terms coined in that era.  And though this behavior was also present during World War I, it received much more scrutiny in the 1940s.  Some historians also argue that the girls were not simply swept off their feet in their misplaced patriotism, but were experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what was deemed socially acceptable. 

So just to set the record straight, Wild Kat, Peachie and I are boosting morale on the Home Front by baking pies, planting gardens and sharing tips on how to get the perfect roller set.  Our goal is to embody a more wholesome 1940s victory girl.  The girl who can make do with less.  The girl who keeps the home fire burning bright for her husband and family.  The girl who steps up and contributes to her community.  Is this making you slightly nauseous with all it's goody-two-shoe-iness?  More simply put, if you take the sexual component out of the slang, that's us.  Besides, we're all happily married, and only get wacky with one pair of khakis.  But we're too nice to talk about it.  *wink*

How Big Can You Get?

Recently PBS aired the Cab Calloway episode of American Masters and it made me long for the days of Friday nights spent dancing in clubs. In my neck of the woods dancing is reserved for intoxicated weddings and then it's a DJ playing the mandatory chicken dance. Watching Cab talk was very inspiring, and he inspired many people as a pioneer of big band music, including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. They came to a local venue about four years ago and we had a blast, and so I am very excited to be going to another of their concerts. Last time we saw them they were working on their How Big Can you Get? album, a tribute to Cab Calloway. This time around I know how to dance, if there's room. I picked seats on the end hoping to convince my guy to show off a few of our moves!

Heading inside to see BBVD!

Oh the sounds of a live big band! There's nine original band members and they are turning 19! That's great, and I got to talk to them after the show.  Dirk even complimented me on my dress! (*swoon*)

Scotty & I after the show.

They are coming out with a new record (yes, they still put out vinyl) and played a few songs from it. I particularly liked "Let's Roll". I'll be getting my copy when it comes out.

Happy Rockin' Easter to all you hep cats out there!

Penny Mats

I have been eyeing up this cute penny mat along with an adorable strawberry penny mat at my local fabric store for awhile, and finally last fall I broke down and bought a kit. Now being my first I had a few assumptions with were wrong(big surprise right?). I knew they did the sample at the store with a machine but I assumed it would be very quick to sew by hand. Now it didn't take me a long amount of time, but it did take me longer than I originally thought. I also assumed that penny mats were for dumping you pennies on, again, wrong! Penny mats were originally made of penny size scraps of leftover wools/fabrics. Even if they weren't penny shaped it did use up some wool scraps.

I also brushed up on my embroidery skills, the majority of the stitching was blanket stitching, but there was also some french knots for the eyes and lazy daisy stitches for the flowers. If you find yourself needing a refresher you tube has great videos for this. I also learned a nice trick, after mentioning to the fabric store owner, I was stitching on the sheep and finding it difficult to keep them flat since the pieces were too small to pin down, she suggested some fabric-tac. Hello! worked like a dream.

 Here is the backside, really pretty in whimsical way, but I covered it to prevent unraveling or catching of the threads.

Very sweet, I think, and I am ready to make another one. Starting with a kit for my first try was great and now I'm ready to design my own. I'm envisioning cherries or a hot rod for my guy to throw his pennies on!
Happy Sewing!
Kit: Buttermilk Basin August Penny Mat @ http://buttermilkbasin.com/
Supplies: The Cutting Edge Fabric and Craft Supply Shoppe LLC. 816 5th Ave. Antigo, WI 54409 715-623-3590

Miss Symco Pin Up Contest Preview

I have been waiting for this years Symco Shakedown since last years Shakedown, and I have been waiting for the Miss Symco contest since I signed up in February! Well today is the day!!!!
 I have been the typical woman, changing her mind about what to wear. This weekend will be my first pin up contest and I am doing it for fun, but this fashionista has been losing some sleep over what to wear! It's a toss up between "the girl next door" look and "Bombshell" look.




Here is the dress I decided upon.

 I sewed a dress from a Vintage Vogue Pattern ( # V8728) that I got back in April. I bought a polyester sateen fabric in a tropical black and white print. I did  few alterations including add pockets and finished the dress a few weeks before. This dress is gorgeous but I was not sure I would want to wear it in the hot August heat ( Symco's last two years have been rain and serious heat). What was I thinking in the cool April air? I should have made a sundress in cotton! But alas this last week has just cooled down from quite a hot, humid summer for Wisconsin and now I will wear the dress I originally planned on.
I got some red accessories (I was hoping to get some gloves but got too busy last minute) and I am hoping that no props will be needed to win this contest! I am hoping the judges will vote for the natural, 40's 50's look! I am going for that look, pure polished natural glamour of that era with a modern feel. There are 27 contestants and some gorgeous girls walking around Symco Shakedown. I know they will bring their A game too. I am just so excited to see so much retro beauty walking around.
One thing is for sure, no matter the outfit, weather, or outcome, I will have lots of fun!

Stay tuned for pictures of my final pin up girl look and the results.

Book Review: Blueprints of Fashion

Blueprints of Fashion: Home Sewing Patterns of the 1940s

by Wade Laboissonniere

2009 Revised 2nd Edition

Schiffer Publishing

Ever wonder where the seemingly simple task of sewing begins?  Who were the major players in this industry?  And how did they shape the fashion choices that we, as homemakers, have available to us?  

Long before you sit at your machine with fabric in hand, hundreds of people are involved in getting you to that point.  This book gives a clear and concise history of the industy.  Beginning with information on the earliest pattern companies and their marketing goals to reach every housewife in America, this book goes on to cover the trade publications available to retail stores, the pattern company promotions, and the differences in packaging. 

Patterns themselves have evolved quite a lot over the years.  Innovations that we take for granted, such as an instruction sheet, printed pieces and sizing info, was not included in the early years.  Several smaller companies were bought out by the major players of McCalls, Simplicity and Butterick, each vying for its share of the market.  

Vogue was established early on as a premier company, charging $1.00 each for patterns throughout the 1930s while others were selling for 15 cents (unprinted) and 25 cents (printed).  Vogue marketed its image as the couture line, including a speciality label with each pattern sold.

 

By 1944, it is estimated that 82% of American women were sewing for their families.  This was a huge market that, though very much restricted by the War rationing, could be tapped into for homefront relief efforts as well.  

The book devotes an entire chapter to the iconic style of the 1940s, a reflection of both war rationing and garment industry restrictions.  This was a period when women began to wear work clothes that didn't include a skirt and heels!

Of course, the best feature of Blueprints of Fashion is the 110 pages of pattern illustrations.  Full-color photos of not only women's dresses, blouses and skirts, but also bridal, men's, children's and home decor. 

 

 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in 1940s vintage fashion.  Be you a sewer or historian, this is an excellent reference source to give you a solid feel for the decade that stood out with a strengh and determination all its own.

WWII Nose Art

As an artist I undoubtedly have an appreciation for art, but I especially like "art at work." Sure going through galleries and seeing the works of great artists is always a treat, but I do appreciate finding art in things all around us by "artists" all around us. Surely being labeled "artist" carries many beliefs, one of which is that you are not an artist if your works are not in a gallery. Art is something that is magical and either you have it or you don't. This is not true. I like to see artists making art that speaks of their experiences and translates into everyday life. In WWII we have just that with nose art. Combat crews and pilots decorated their warbirds with many things.

The image of a woman was by far the most popular. Nose art and pin ups were not new but together they were a hit. Many service men duplicated the popular Vargas girls in Esquire at the time. Surely many of these artist remain anonymous but they were and are enjoyed none the less. At the height of the war, nose artist were in high demand and got paid accordingly.

But this begs the question, why don't we see anymore nose art? In WWII there were regulations against marking military equipment, however society and thus the military (the navy did not) allowed this since our men were sacrificing their lives. Nose art has been credited with boosting morale, and giving the boys luck. Today the regulations are enforced and there is a lot of red tape to get through before you can apply art to your plane. Some people find this degrading to women, but I have to disagree, these images were security and good luck symbols on their planes that got them through a lot of tough times! If you are interested in helping to preserve this art you can visit Save the Girls for more information. To view some WWII planes in Wisconsin, you can visit the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh.